10 Essentials: Jean-Philippe Delhomme

Regular GQ readers have all seen many of Jean-Philippe Delhomme's illustrations, announcing Glenn O'Brien's monthly Style Guy columns. As one of the art and fashion world's favorite collaborators, you'll find his mark on everything from Kitsune to Vuitton to Colette to macaron bos at every Pierre Herme in Paris. And his gift for teasing out truth and humor through the characters in his art and writing (most recently in his book, The Unknown Hipster Diaries, now in its second printing) has made him one of the imaginative observers of hipster culture. Most days, you can find the soft-spoken artist side-stepping tubes of paint in his Brooklyn studio, where we met him recently to learn about the things he holds most dear.

Photo: Jace Lumley

1. Gilles Peterson's BBC 6 music radio show

"I've been listening to Gilles's show for over ten years. It's helped me with so many drawings. Whenever I don't have an idea, or I'm not in the mood to work, his show helps me focus. It's rare to find good radio shows, and his is one of best in the world. He features an eclectic mix of modern music, and I've discovered a lot of artists through him."

Photo: gillespetersonworldwide.com

2. Colette, Paris

"I met Sarah [Lerfel, the owner] just before she opened Colette, and we've done several collaborations since then. I admire her sense of fantasy and humor, and her open-mindedness and eye. I could make a painting of just the dresses she picks up every week for the women's floor."

Photo: q8concierge.com

3. 1974 Pentax Spotmatic II

"My oldest and most cherished belonging, given to me by my grandmother. It's big and heavy and has a great design. It fell off a motorcycle once and survived. I take black-and-white photos of my family and loved ones, my subjects, and the day and light. There's something more emotional about black-and-white photos. They are a bit more grainy, more romantic, and more atmospheric. They feel closer to what I do in drawing."

Photo: Courtesy of Jean-Philippe Delhomme

4. The Wisdom of Glenn O'Brien

"A poet, a philosopher, and a friend—too bad I can't call him all the time for advice. He's the most open-minded, worldly person I know. I met him in the early '90s when I came to New York to show my work. He was the creative director at Barney's then, and we worked together on a series of ad campaigns. I'd never met anyone like him. A lot of people know about the art world, or the fashion world, or the music world, or the world of literature, but it's very rare that someone knows all these spheres and can jump from one subject to another with such ease."

Photo: GQ.com

5. Marie-Hélène de Taillac jewelry

"I discovered the beauty of gems and stones through my friend MH's sense of purity, minimal aesthetic, and joyful sense of color. (She also introduced me to India—I went to Jaipur to do a book of drawings on her.) She just opened up a shop in New York."

Photo: mariehelenedetaillac.com

6. The Jools

"My son Lewis is the drummer. We share the same love for psychedelic tunes and '70s rock. Their music amazes me and I love watching them perform."

"The most necessary things in my life. Once you have decided what's best for you—the right colors, the right paint—you need to have them all the time. Unfortunately, I can't get them all in the same place. The paint I use isn't sold in France, only the UK and New York. For paper, I've been buying Arches for years. It's beautiful, and it's from France. When I travel, I always have my eye out for supplies."

Photo: dickblick.com

8. A.P.C. jeans

"They are not the most important thing in my life, but I'm always in them. Their quality and simplicity makes them good to wear everywhere. I try to dress in such a way that I can go anywhere during the day—I can be working comfortably, at dinner with friends, or at an opening—and don't have to think about it too much. I'm always looking for clothes that can go with you everywhere. I was thinking maybe I should do my own line of clothes, so I could find exactly what I want for all situations—it's hard to find."

Photo: mrporter.com

9. Tom Wolfe and Martin Amis novels

"My favorite writers living today. Both have a sharp eye, a sense of humor, and a way of describing the smallest details with such realness and truth. They show the way people really are. And so even if it's cynical or they're tearing things down at times, there is energy and humor that takes you up, not down."

Photo: tomwolfe.com/indefl.html

10. Bushwick, Brooklyn, and Northeast Kingdom

"I split my time between Paris and New York, but I love to work in New York. It's more inspiring. You can be anywhere in New York when it's sunny, and there's always these big, deep shadows falling down from the buildings—the way people just emerge out of the shadows, to me, is the most beautiful thing. My studio is in Bushwick. There are still empty lots, truck and car repair stores, and lots of artist studios in the neighborhood. I always go for lunch at Northeast Kingdom. I'm grateful a place like that exists. It's good when you work to have a place you can go to take a break for lunch that's warm and nice. I do the same in Paris—I don't like to stay in the studio all day. I love to take a break and see people around."

Regular GQ readers have all seen many of Jean-Philippe Delhomme's illustrations, announcing Glenn O'Brien's monthly Style Guy columns. As one of the art and fashion world's favorite collaborators, you'll find his mark on everything from Kitsune to Vuitton to Colette to macaron bos at every Pierre Herme in Paris. And his gift for teasing out truth and humor through the characters in his art and writing (most recently in his book, The Unknown Hipster Diaries, now in its second printing) has made him one of the imaginative observers of hipster culture. Most days, you can find the soft-spoken artist side-stepping tubes of paint in his Brooklyn studio, where we met him recently to learn about the things he holds most dear.